If you have a BMI (body mass index) over 30, you are now officially sick ofobesity, according to American doctors.
While for Inserm, from a medical point of view “obesity is excess body fat with health consequences“, the Americans do not hesitate to push the definition further by classifying obesity as a disease. “Recognizing obesity as a disease will help change the way in which the medical community tackles this complex problem which affects American medical association (AMA) member Dr. Patrice Harris explained on Tuesday during the group’s annual meeting. And added: “The AMA is committed to improving the state health and working to reduce rates of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, are often linked to obesity”.
A measure against obesity discrimination
Health professionals hope that this measure will facilitate the development of obesity treatments as well as the coverage of people who suffer from it by insurance companies. “We already consider obesity as a chronic disease, underlines Dr. Esa Matius Davis, assistant professor at the University of Medicine of Pittsburgh. But we hope this decision will help bring help to those in need.”
A risk of trivialization
The Obesity Society, a scientific association specializing in obesity, applauded the AMA’s decision. “This recognition […] can help increase the resources devoted to research, prevention and treatment”. to reduce the stigma and discrimination experienced by millions of people”.
This classification of obesity as a disease nevertheless raises certain reservations. Won’t that trivialize the problem, if not reinforce the patient’s defeatism about his recovery instead of encouraging him to lose weight? Not to mention the excessive medicalization that this measure could entail.
